


Having Your Back

by audiaphilios



Series: From Tumblr With Lo-- [22]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Anxiety, Getting Together, M/M, friends helping friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-18 21:30:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9403676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/audiaphilios/pseuds/audiaphilios
Summary: Tater meets Kent when the Falconers play the Aces in Las Vegas. Tater and Zimmboni room together on the road, and Zimmboni is clearly on edge about something going into this game.





	

**Author's Note:**

> [Originally posted to tumblr May 18, 2016.](http://audiaphilios.tumblr.com/post/144502965940/accidental-patater)

Tater meets Kent when the Falconers play the Aces in Las Vegas. Tater and Zimmboni room together on the road, and Zimmboni is clearly on edge about something going into this game.

Tater may be a giant, and incredibly friendly, and English is definitely not his first language, but he is by no means an idiot. He’s put two and two together about Zimmboni’s “girlfriend” and the little blond baker that showed up with pie when the Samwell hockey team came to a game. He just doesn’t feel it’s his place to confront anyone and force confessions, so he keeps up the pretense for his teammate’s sake when others are around. When they’re alone, he no longer says a thing when his friend’s phone rings and his eyes go soft.

In Las Vegas, though, something else is happening. Jack had a different frown on his face when he hung up with his little baker. Not his usual “I don’t want to say goodbye but I need to focus on hockey” frown, but something that settled more between his eyebrows. Tater wishes he’d brought up what he’d noticed before, because then he’d feel much less awkward sitting down on the bed next to him, one long arm around his shoulder.

“You have fight with little baker?”

That, at least, startles the frown off of Zimmboni’s face for a moment, followed by a flash of panic and then a deeper frown.

“No, we didn’t–he’s not–she’s–”

“Hush, Zimmboni. Is okay. Everything okay with little blond one, the hockey player, yes?”

Jack is silent for a moment, and Alexei can see the way he focuses on his breathing, the way he tenses each muscle group slowly before relaxing them. He takes a deep breath and finally looks up.

“Yes, he’s fine, we’re fine. Well, he’s just. He’s worried about me. I am, too. A bit.”

Alexei’s on his guard immediately.

“You sick? You hurt?”

“No, no. It’s just. How much do you know about me? I mean, about before I–before I signed on with the Falconers?”

Alexei shrugs.

“Nothing real. I see your name, your family, but,” he shrugs again. “Nothing real.”

Jack takes another deep breath.

“Well, one of the Aces. I used to be. Friends, with him. Before. We… don’t get along, really. It’s not… healthy, for us to be around one another.”

Tater’s seen Jack after a loss, but he’s never seen his friend look defeated. He feels his jaw tighten.

“He hurt you?”

“No, euh, he’s not really a bad guy. It’s just between the two of us, our history. We don’t know how not to fight, and I’m tired of fighting.” Jack glances at the phone in his hand, a deep breath sounding more like a sigh gusting from him. He smiles, a little, when the screen lights up with a text message. Looking back up at Tater, he says, “I’ve gotten used to not fighting.”

Tater clasps his shoulder in one big hand, then pulls his arm back from around Jack to clap him soundly on the back.

“Is good, then. I am your D-man. I am–how does school team say? I am having your back!”

Jack grins, then, and Tater feels like he’s succeeded in his mission. Then Jack’s smile falters, becomes smaller, but his eyes are not sad.

“Zimmboni, you good?”

“Thank you, Tater. Alexei. For everything.”

“Is no problem, Zimmboni. You can pay me back in pie!”

They laugh, then Jack notices the time and the pre-game rush is on.

_/_X_\\_

Tater isn’t familiar with the stories about Jack before he joined the Falconers, but he doesn’t have to be, with the way the news has been covering this game. Kent Parson, captain of the Aces, is clearly going to be the man in Tater’s sights tonight. Looking at the smaller man, seeing the way he knocks shoulders with Jack as they wait for the faceoff, Tater thinks he will have quite a good time with this. He gives Zimmboni a wolfish grin, then the refs arrive, the puck drops, and the game begins.

_/_X_\\_

After the game, Jack is unable to talk his way out of the afterparty–the Falconers are in Vegas, after all, and just beat the Aces on their home turf 3-1. They’re heading to the nightclub that is one of the Aces’ biggest sponsors, and will have to play nice for at least a couple of hours. Tater watches Jack at the post-game presser, seeing the hockey robot coming out more and more as the questions drag on. Afterwards, however, the tension in his shoulders ratchets down noticeably when Alexei throws his arm across them and leans in.

“Your back, Zimmboni. On ice or off.”

At the club, Tater sticks close to Jack’s side, sending Guy to bring them drinks. Guy, at least, can be trusted more than Snowy to actually fetch back a club soda for Jack with no additives. At his side, Jack’s hand is twitching towards his phone. Alexei grabs his drink away.

“Talk to your baker, Zimmboni. I keep eye for you while you type.”

Alexei’s never seen the man look more grateful.

Not a minute after Jack’s eyes leave the crowd, however, Kent Parson comes sauntering up.

Alexei flings his arms wide, a smile on his face as he douses Jack with club soda and announces, “Captain Parson!”

Jack sputters for a minute, trying to make sure his phone is dry. Before Kent can get a word out, Tater is flinging an arm around his shoulder.

“Zimmboni! Go dry off! Clean up! I have questions for Captain Parson!” He gives the smaller man a squeeze. “You not hurt too badly, yes? I smash you good tonight, but you so quick!”

Jack’s already disappeared from his peripherals as he finishes his spiel, so he focuses on the man tucked neatly beneath his arm, giving him another squeeze. Startled eyes meet his, and he squints his eyes and ducks in closer, trying to figure out what color they are.

“You are one terrifying man, Mashkov.” He delivers the line flat-out, but there’s a sneaking smile on his face.

Delighted, Alexei swings the man in closer and brings his other hand up to tousle the ridiculous blond hair.

“Is good, no? Not scared? Call me Tater!”

“Tater?”

“Like tiny potatoes!” And yes, there it is– a laugh. Alexei draws the man in front of him, both hands on his shoulders. “You are okay, yes?”

Kent runs a hand through his hair, trying to get it tousled properly, not whichever way Tater’s enormous hands have mussed it.

“Yes, I’m fine. Thought you had it out for me all night, though.”

A small smile creeps onto Tater’s face, and a dangerous look in his eye.

“Some men I see, they just need to be against the boards. And I protect my teammates. Right, Captain?”

A bit tellingly, Kent’s eyes dart to Tater’s right, where Jack had been standing, before he meets the taller man’s gaze. His eyebrow shoots up, and his gaze traces carefully over Tater’s face.

“Right,” he says.

Tater’s hands squeeze his shoulders, not hard, and then let go. Tater thinks he sees a flash of disappointment in the shorter man’s eyes.

“I wasn’t going to start anything with Jack,” Kent starts, but Tater cuts him off, one hand coming back up to Kent’s shoulder as Tater watches his eyes.

“Jack says with you two, things not needing started.” He tightens his hand again, watching Kent’s face closely. “Maybe time things finished.” Tater watches a kind of awareness dawn, and pays too much attention to the lip that’s drawn beneath Kent’s teeth with a deep breath.

“Things have been over there for a long time, you know.”

Alexei’s head tilts.

“How over?”

A glint flashes in Kent’s eyes, a challenge, as he reaches up to grasp Tater’s wrist.

“I could show you.”

Alexei squeezes one more time, a bit tighter, just to watch the pleasure flare up again before he removes his hand.

“Is good,” he says, and follows as Kent turns and walks away.


End file.
